This invention relates to automotive vehicle accessories and more particularly to a clamp joining a trailer tongue hitch to a towing vehicle trailer hitch ball.
1. Field of the Invention
Vehicles such as automobiles and trucks are frequently utilized to pull other wheeled vehicles, such as utility trailers or mobile homes.
The towing and towed vehicle are usually connected together by coupling members generally referred to as "trailer hitches". A trailer hitch usually comprises a spherical ball connected with a towing bumper or plate by a stem projecting vertically downwardly through the bumper or plate.
The towed or trailing vehicle is usually provided at its forward end with a tongue member terminating at its forward end in a coupling member featuring a part spherical socket which receives a spherical portion of the hitch ball. The socket forming member is normally maintained in contact with the hitch ball by a forwardly projecting cleat contacting a depending portion of the ball spherical surface generally opposite the socket.
Towing forces generate strenuous forces involving both horizontal and vertical loading on the socket member. When the vertical loading is in a negative direction it sometimes forces the cleat toward the under side of the ball with a sudden or quick impact which may damage it and result in disengagment of the socket forming coupling from the hitch ball.
Most highway motor vehicle safety codes require the use of safety chains extending between the towing and towed vehicles. However, in the event of separation of the coupling members joining the towed vehicle to the towing vehicle, the chain connection between the vehicles, as a result of the mass of the towed vehicle, may result in an uncontrollable situation with respect to the towing vehicles and result in an accident to both vehicles and or the occupants of the towing vehicle.
This invention overcomes the above problems by securing the trailer hitch socket to the hitch ball.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,522,958 issued Aug. 4, 1970 to Lusignan for GUARD FOR TRAILER HITCH, U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,065 issued Jun. 17, 1980 to Hansen for COUPLING GUARD and U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,832 issued Jul. 17, 1984 to Avrea et al for TRAILER HITCH LOCK generally represents the state-of-the-art.
Each of these and other patents of which I am aware feature a base member which is rigidly attached to the hitch ball mounting member and a second component which overlies in closed spaced or contacting relation the trailer hitch ball socket forming member.
This invention is distinctive over these and other patents by providing a clamp assembly which features a base portion loosely surrounding the hitch ball shank between its sphere and a tow bar and transversely contacts the depending surface of the trailer hitch coupling socket forming member. A bridge portion of the clamp assembly transversely overlying the upper surface of the hitch coupling impinges it in surrounding relation with respect to the hitch ball against the base member. This permits the clamp assembly to move as a unit with the trailer tongue socket forming member in its horizontal and vertical pivoting movement relative to the hitch ball.